Metal hair



Woon.

METAL HAIR.

"0N FILED AP 2.1911. 1,355,368. Patented 0ct.12,1920.

PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER H. UNDERWOOD, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

METAL HAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 12, 1920.

Original application filed March 20, 1917, Serial No. 156,095. Dividedand this'application filed November 22, 1917. Serial No. 203,470.

T 0 all to 720m it may concern Be it known that I, VVALTER H. UNDER-wooo, a citizen of the United States, and residing at New York, New Yorkcounty, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Metal Hair, of which the following is a specifica tion.The present invention relates to a metal hair or filament as an articleof manufacture, this application being a division of my application156,095, filed March 20, 1917, My new and novel hair or filament issmooth, of fine gage, uniform size and has a slight twist about itslongitudinal axis. Its characteristics, one method of producing the sameand novel features will be apparent from the following description takenin connection with the drawings in which:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic plan view showing the relation of the stockand tool as arranged in a planer or similar machine tool, this being onemethod of producing the filaments;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 1, the stockbeing shown in section;

Fig. 3 illustrates in side and end elevation one of the circular plateswhich is used in the tool shown. in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2;

Fig. 4. is a view to a larger scale showing the1 cutting edge of theplates used in the too Fig. 5 is a greatly magnified view of a shortlength of the new hair or filament of my invention;

Fig. 6 is a view illustrating a small bundle of the hair or filaments;

Fig. 7 is a cross-sectional elevation of one form of hair or filamenttaken substantially on the line 77 of Fig. 6.

My new product may be made from various metals and alloys, such assteel, lead and brass, ductility being an important quality of thematerial used. The filaments may be produced. by being cut from either afiat or round bar stock on a planer, lathe, or similar machine toolwhich is adapted for fine work, by a skew or plow cut. The tool used hasalmost a square cutting edge, the angle between the surfaces beingapproximately 90.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 3, an arrangement and tool are shown forcutting filaments in a planer from flat bar stock. The tool comprises amandrel 10, the ends of which are adapted to be mounted in a suitableholder 11 and which carries a series of thin plates or disks 12. Anydesired number of these plates or disks 12 may be mounted onthe mandreland securely clamped in position thereon by the nuts 13, threaded on themandrel. The disks 12 are made from flat stock of an inch or more inthickness, and are formed with cutting edges at the peripheries. Asshown in Fig. 4, this cutting edge is made by beveling off the cylindrical surface of the disk for about onethird of its Width so that theangle between the side of the disk and its peripheral surface is almost90, preferably about 87, as shown at A. The remainder of the edge of thedisk makes an angle of about 75 to provide clearance for the filament asshown at B. These disks are formed with bores 14: for mounting the sameon the mandrel 10. Thus the tool is formed by assembling a plurality ofthe disks on the mandrel 10. In setting up the work and tool in theplaner the holder is mounted in the same so that the disks or plates ,12make .an acute angle with the direction of movement of the stock.

As shown in Fig. 1,-the disks are mounted so that their cutting edgesare at the left. Thus as the stock moves in the direction indicated bythe arrow, thelower part of the peripheries of the disks will each cutoff a filament 0f the metal with a skew cut. The size of the hairs orfilaments is controlled in one direction by the depth of the cut and inthe other direction by the feed of the tool. The filaments produced inthis or a similar manner have a twist about their longitudinal. axes,this twist being due to the way in which the filaments are cut. Thesmall segment of each disk which acts to cut off the filaments evidentlyturns the same over in a manner similar to the action of a. disk plow. Ihave found that setting the disks at a greater or less angle to the lineof movement of the stock gives the filaments more or less twistdepending upon the degree of said angle.

The mandrel 10 may be mounted in the holder 11 so that, as one portionof the cutting edge of the disks becomes dull, it may be turned wherebythe disks will present fresh and sharp cutting edges. The mandrel may beheld a ainst rotation by any suitable means, suc as set screws 21.

Referring to F ig. 2 it will be noted that the mandrel is inclined, therighthand end of the same being lower than the left, as viewed in thisfigure. The amount of th s inclination may be varied to suit cond1-tions, such as the kind of stock used and the size of the filamentsdesired. Thus if filaments 1/1000 of an inch thick be desired and 20disks be in the tool, the difference in elevation between the left diskand right disk would be about 20/1000 of an inch. The tool is fed to theleft as viewed in Fig. 2 after each cut, in the usual way, an amountequal to the width of the filament desired. Thus the left disk of Fig. 2will make the first cut. After this cut the tool will be fed to theleftthe width of one filament and on the second cut the left hand diskwill produce another filament, and the second disk being 1/1000 of aninch lower than the left disk will make a eaten the surface left by thefirst cut of the first disk. It will be seen, therefore, that the diskssuccessively operate on the surfaces left by the preceding cuts. Theholder 11 is mounted in the planer so that the mandrel can be adjustedto any position, as above described.

As shown in Fig. 5, my filament 15 is of uniform size, has sharplongitudinally extending edges and a slight twist about its longitudinalaxis, the finest filament for practical use havinga cross section ofabout 0.0005"x0.0005", but that substantiallv 0.001"x0.002 being moregenerally useful. Although Fig. 7 shows a cross-sectional elevation of afilament or hair of. this invention it is to be distinctly understoodthat the filaments are not limited to a cross-section such as shown.This view is included in the drawings solely for thepurpose ofindicating that the longitudinal edges of the filaments or hair aresharp.

The filaments produced as described are a new product, being smooth,strong, of great length, of fine and uniform size, and twisted asdesired about their longitudinal axes. They are very different from thefilaments constituting the product known as metal wool. The filaments ofthis latter product are curled, are not uniform in size, have rough,jagged edges and only a fraction of the strength of the filaments ofthis invention and are not of as fine a gage.

Furthermore, in addition to its many desirable properties, the presentfilament costs only a fraction of the kind heretofore known, and thefield for its use is much greater, as it is desirable in many productswhere metal wool cannot be used, for example, fine fiber brushes.

Again, because of its smoothness, strength, uniform size and length, thefilament is particularly desirable in spinning metal yarn and weavinginto metal fabrics. The jagged, short, curled metal fibers heretoforeused required special treatment and special machinery in spinning andweaving, because of the jagged edges, etc. As the present filament hasnone of these defects, the processes of spinning and weaving the sameare simpler, and hence less expensive. Moreover the yarn and fabricproduced are better and more satisfactory.

As an abrasive or polishing agent it' acts entirely differently from thecommercial metal wool, heretofore used. The latter polishes byscratching with its serrated edges, whereas the present .product becauseof its sharp smooth edges shaves off the high points of the surfacewhich is being polished. Hence a better polish is obtained with myfilaments.

In appearance, a mass of my filaments canscarcely be distinguishedfrom'human hair. Indeed, a bundle of my steel filaments appears exactlylike steel gray hair. F or this reason my product may be termed metalhair as distinguished from the old curly product known as metal wool.

For other methods and apparatus for producing my novel filamentsreference may be had to the application referred to above.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed as new and desiredto be secured by Letters Patent is z- 1. As an article of manufacture, ametal filament of fine gage, uniform size and having a twist about itslongitudinal axis.

2. As an article of manufacture a metal filament or hair-having a twistabout its longitudinal axis.

3. As an article of manufacture, a metal filament or hair having asubstantially uniform twist about its longitudinal axis.

4. As an article of manufacture a cutfrom-metal-stock filament or hairof fine gage having sharp longitudinally extending edges.

5. As an article of manufacture a cutfrom-metal-stock filament or hairof fine gage having sharp longitudinally extending edges and a slighttwist.

6. As an article of manufacture a cutfrom-metal-stock filament or hairof fine gage, uniform size, smooth sharp edges and having considerabletensional strength.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

YVALTER H. UN DERl/VOOD.

